Automatic reversing mechanism.



PATENTED DEG. 22, 1903.

(I- G. SGHAEFPLER. AUTOMATIC REVERSING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1993.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1. Y

NO MODEL.

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No. 747,649. I PATENTBD DEC. 22, 1903. J. 0. SGHAEFFLE'R'.

AUTOMATIC. REVBRSING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 sums-sum 2.

UNITED STATES Iatented December 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE. M

AUTOMATIC REVERSING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 74.7,649, dated December 22, 1903.

- Application filed May 22, 1903. Serial No. 158,342. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH O. SCHAEFFLER, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Re part of this specification, Figure 1 represents,

an end elevation of a reversing mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a plan view of a part of the mechanism. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, arepresents the operatingshaft to be rotated first in one direction for a predetermined period and then in the 0pposite direction for a corresponding period, said shaft imparting corresponding movements to a washing-machine cylinder or other part requiring to be rotated in different directions. To the operating-shaft a is affixed by a key or spline a a bevel-gear b.

0 represents a tubular bearing in which the shaft a is journaled, said bearing being supported by a standard 0.

An annular frame or cage is mounted to rotate loosely on the bearing 0, said frame comprising an inner or hub portion 2, journaled on the bearing 0, an outer or rim portion 3 concentric with the hub portion 2, and radial arms 4, connecting said hub and rim portions.

e e represent bevel-pinions located in two of the spaces between adjacent arms 4 and meshing with the bevel-gear b, said pinions being at opposite sides of the shaft a. The pinions e e are affixed to radial studs or shafts e e, the inner ends of which are journaled in bearings in the hub 2, while their outer ends are journaled in bearings in the rim 3.

The rim portion 3 is provided with two dogs ted lines in Fig. 5.

or looking members 9 g, located in openings formed for their reception in said rim and pivoted thereto at g. Said dogs are formed to engage fiat faces e formed on the studs 8 for the purpose of locking said studs and the pinions e to the cage, the said dogs being movable so that they maybe engaged with the studs e, as shown bydotted lines in Figs. 1 and 5, or disengaged therefrom, as shown in full lines in Fig. 5.

It represents a bevel-gear meshing with the pinions e e and located at the opposite side of said pinions from the gear I). The gear it has a hub h, which is journaled on the hearing a. To said hub is rigidly affixed by a key or spline 't' a gear j, which is rotated cont-inuously in one direction by a driving-gear (not shown) engaged therewith.

When the dogs 9 g are separated from the studs 6 e, the pinions e e are free to rotate independently, so that they are adapted to transmit from the continuously-rotating gear 72. a rotary movement in a direction opposite to that of the movement of said gear 72, means being provided, as hereinafter described, for locking and preventing the rotation of the pinion-containing frame or cage when the pinions are free to rotate, so that when the conditions areas last stated the rotation of the gear j imparts an opposite rotation to the gear I) and shaft 00.

When the dogs 9 g are engaged with the studs e e, the frame or cage is released and permitted to rotate with the gear j, so that the gearsj and h, the pinions e e, the pinioncontaining frame or cage, the gear b, and the shaft a rotate as one part, the shaft 0. rotating in the same direction with the gearj.

' The means for alternately locking and releasing the said frame or cage are as follows: It represents a fixed frame surrounding the cage and provided at opposite sides of the axis of the cage with guides It is.

m m represent sliding stops fitted to move in said guides and projecting inwardly, their inner portions being arranged to project into the path in which arms 9 on the dogs 9 are normally held by springs 9 as shown by dot- The stops m mare moved back and forth by means hereinafter described, so that they are alternately in the path of the dog-arms g and out of said path.

The cage is provided with two projections n n adjacent to the dogs g g, said projections being arranged to abut against the stops m m when the latter are in the path of the dogarms 9 The steps m m are attached by studs 0 0 with a cross-head p, which is adapted to slide on the shaft 0. and is provided with a yoke com posed of rodsqq, Fig. 3, and a cross-bar q, the latter extending across the shaft a.

4" represents a nut which is engaged with a screw-thread 1'', formed on the shaft a. The rotation of the shaft causes the nut rto move endwise between the cross-head I) and the yoke cross-bar q, the nut being prevented from rotating by a spline s, affixed to the bearing 15 and entering a groove in the nut.

Operation: Assuming that the gearsj and h are continuously rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 and that the pinions e e are locked to the cage by the dogs 9 g, as shown in said figure, under these conditions the pinions, the cage, and the gear I) move as one part, and the shaft 0. is rotated in the same direction. Assuming, further, that the stops mm are out of the path of the dog-arms g and projections 11., as shown in Fig. 2, the described rotation of the shaft will cause the nut r to move in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, the nut bearing against the cross-head p and forcing it, with the stops m, in the same direction until the stops are within the path of the said dog-arms and projections. After the stops have entered the said path the rotation of the cage brings the dog-arms into contact with the stops (thus throwing out the dogs and releasing the pinions 0 e) and immediately afterward brings the projections 11 it into contact with the stops, thus arresting the rotation of the cage. This causes a reversal of the rotation of the gear I) and shaft a, said reverse rotation causing the nut r to movein adirection opposite that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, and continuing until the nut bears on the crossbar q and moves the cross-bar, the crosshead 19, and the stops m m in the direction required to remove the stops from the path of the dog-arms g and projections 'n. When the stops have been thus removed, the dogs g are forced by the springs g into engagement with the faces 6 of the studs (2', thus again locking the pinions e and causing the cage and shaft to rotate in the direction first described.

The described mechanism is simple and compact in construction and reliable and efficient in operation. It is adapted for use in connection with various kinds of laundry machinery, such as Washing and starching machines, but is not limited to such use and may be employed in various other relations.

I claim I 1. A reversing mechanism comprising an operating-shaft, a cage surrounding the shaft and rotatable independently thereof, rotary pinions mounted in said cage, gears at opposite sides of and meshing with said pinions, one of said gears being affixed to the shaft and the other loose thereon, means for rotating the loose gear in-one direction, and mechanism operated by the rotation of the fixed gear and the shaft for alternately locking and releasing the cage and for alternately looking the pinions to and releasing them from the cage.

2. A reversing mechanism comprising an operating-shaft, a cage surrounding the shaft and rotatable independently thereof, said cage having pinion-locking members, rotary pinions mounted in said cage, gears at opposite sides of and meshing with said pinions, one of said gears being affixed to the shaft and the other loose thereon, means for rotatiug the loose gear in one direction, and mechanism operated by the rotation of the fixed gear and the shaft for alternately locking and releasing the cage, and for actuating said pinion-locking members.

3. A reversing mechanism comprising an operating-shaft, a cage surrounding the shaft and rotatable independently thereof, pinionlocking dogs pivoted to the cage and having arms normally projected from the periphery of the cage, projections on the cage adjacent to said arms, rotary pinions mounted in the cage and having locking, members cooperating with said dogs, gears at opposite sides of and meshing with said pinions, one of said gears being aifixed to the shaft and the other.

loose thereon, means for rotating the loose gear in one direction, stops movable into and out of the path of the arms and projections on the cage, and mechanism operated by the rotation of the fixed gear and the shaft for moving said stops.

4:. A reversing mechanism comprising an operating-shaft, a cage surrounding the shaft and rotatable independently thereof, pinionlocking dogs pivoted to the cage and having arms normally projected from the periphery of the cage, projections on the cage adjacent to said arms, rotary pinions mounted in the cage and having locking members cooperating with said dogs, gears at opposite sides of and meshing with said pinions, one of said gears being affixed to the shaft and the other loose thereon, means for rotating the loose gear in one direction, stops movable into and out of the path of the arms and projections on the cage, a crosshead movable on the shaft and engaged with the steps, a cross-bar connected with the cross-head, and a nut located between the said cross-head and bar and engaged with a screw thread on the shaft.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH C. SCHAEFFLER.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON. 

